gut
Nana alt
' 3 4 I
l'.Prrratraes. MNU:kitY-8;'181191'
,
%1MM0.... IWO§ in savanna' or la Clubs
01.231 or. delivered sit residences of Onlesaric
hers, *145., ,Bas e s sospeetus, OM Third ?ay.
nal* sat atoll little
while before the year expires, that we neon
snake fill arrangements fora steady supply.
TM' AIM trU, 41 . 44 •1411kat we
deebie' hoss•vssisi
mamas, this signal ahweld be eialteed § we
hope our mot forget *go
RIMITIVANCRA.—iIestI payment by rats
liaxsils, values deareadeat. Or, load by aaallo
eaelorlagarolth brdfa eare'e and troubling
leabiely ern % a kaaewleilipeof whet you are
dildatr• 'Far a large wereviat, read a ',rap, or
'aria netars )rereaeortw*Pallinv9 ool4l EW A,
or smell stetime . •
TO KAMA 08ATO14 load pootogostoogios
*w **Wifir WM; 'lna Wow lobwww 14&" , rwt "VMS
or Soirtuatyniumbeirs, or $1 row 711 00, 07040
DITIRIO7 sU risttorti mind poilOookiikanaii
I* UV. DAVID lIMINNEV: VUltoblarigko'
Aos.Nolainten4ifi.We have' .ieee~neil
from " Will WiiheiP and paid to thi
Board of Domeatt% Nistionfh. tea dollars.
THE Day , UNION PBAYERIMEETING iW
now held in the ' Protestant Methodist
church, Fifth Street: The k invitation is to''
all. tarry the' 'hour, - hide r an hour, or as,
long as your oireumstanoes will permit
Lmornare.—Rey, Marks is deliver
ing, in the Central church, this , city,. a
course of deeply interesting and{ instructive.
Lectures, on Jerusalem , Palestine , and the'
adjacent ecnntries, Theiio well worthy'
the atterkon.il thereoinrauniti
=I
TXAMILANOS. —A Cooveption of -the
friends of Temperance will-ber held in the
Presbyterian church of ,Seltebotz,...Pe., 'on
Thursday ) January 20thi qit 'lO • o'clock A.:
M. Able addressee will be- delivered'.on
the ocoreien.
AcKriowmpaluEn.r. 7 --Mr 4ohn Culbert"-
son, Librarian, acknowledges the following
contributions to the, Board of Colportage :
Mt. Proipect Church, Washington Presby
tery, el j Little Beaver' Church; Litti?
Beaver Presbytery, $6 00
A, New-Zilifwe ,Conte*plated.
At a meeting , of the ''Directors of the
Western Theological SeMinaiy, on'Tuesday,
the 4th inst., ajroposition was Made, by a
lady, through , a Alistinguished clergyman of.
Ohio, to supply, thelitoard with .$6,000, ,for
the erection of allow building on.the Semi-'
nary grounds; to''be 'divided and 'fitted up
foe studying rooms and dermitories for the
students.' The offer was thankfully ac
cepted, and a Conimitlee,!kppointe n d to
carry into effect, withou t 404 1 the
design, of the benevolent donor. ,
This liberality, we trust, will be an.ade
guide stimulant to 'the churches to speedily,
execute their priiiiese, as expressed by the
Synods, of endowing, fully, the Fourth Pro...
fessorship. The great increase ; la the num-,-
bey of students renders the
,contemplated
building an immedlite necessity. rtalso'
givea full employment 'to' four Profes sors,
and henc e urges upon the., churches the'
speedy completion of the endowment which '
isfrequired-for their suatentation.
i'olhe
Our Oar liadi friends are kindly and earnestly
requested to read, ,on . , our fourth • page, the/
appeal made* them by onr•London Coffee.
pondent, and to 'ironiply with it most heir&
ily and liberallyy. He r pis a very important .
post in London. PreabYterianismthere, is
not the religion of the rich or •thwpowerful.
Our. brethren •in that . city , are- rather the
poor, and relarge portion' of our Correspond
ent's large congregation, are the 'transient.'
But, to have a clinreh; induces more to , be
come resident. The influence of our, 'Cor
respondent, ins.lsustaining , and promoting
true Hvarrgelical Presbyterianism; in
.Lon
don and in 'England, is 'very great; fond
vibe does ricitf — Wiehlthit it Shalliloilish ?`
Now, will not American Ladies cover the ,
American Table spoken ! of, bountifully, with
their gifts ind rich-handy-work ? Wye trust
they will.: ,, They` - will be doing • . good, and
honoring:their country. ")! ' !
These whO s pCnnot: , eonTenieittly,scrid, , to
George 4.),dtuari,p6 9. , can send to us, .and
we will earefillly i t forward. Bend ~ soom
The time of need approaches. ..•
We 444 , gentlemen ' s kindness,
in aid' the ' pastor ' favor
We speolaki,
•Enoburagement.
We are; just now, receiving some fine list's
of subscribers : From many of churches
increased .numbers are coming. A .bnither
called, this week,,with seventy.three aiames,
being an increase of ten over 'last year.
Another, in sending ' on his list; says :
ft Please announce the reception of new
subsoribers, from Ohio, and tell the whole
world: to -take the Banner and , Advocate."
We trued that our readers, pastors and el
dere, especially,wily exert their influence` in
our keep uP the eieelleuce of
cur journal and
~,not to raise the price, ,re
quires decided ,demonstrations of friendship;
and as old - friends' and occasionally,
one beiomes offended at our'` indeiendent
course and our straight•forward and unflinch
ing'fidelity, new ones are needed. We try
to render it: &nano. to peotie for their
money, and 'tofehurch. offleers for their toil
on our behalf. What is the worth, in ya
family, of, a well c onducted religions journid?
What is the valve, in a congregation .of
fifty or a hundred, well Stored papers, arriv
lag weekly for's whole year,'ind year aftim
Year T Who shall tell ? Just , look at' the
increase of knowledge given; and the Qom
fort imparted, and the" intelligence; and the
benevolent emotions' indueed and fostered,
and tinitheridity proMeie4, and the help to
genera 4nefilon, and ginl,governmeu, A nd
the aid heavenward, and then reckon up, if
you can, tat:papal; value':-to-the familyand
the eongiegationl to the` Church-41)&1'0re, and
to the people of their charge.
JINNI
The British Quarterlies
Foils considerable time past, we; imie
been anxious to find room for a more length
eneolAxtiole than , our 'column of llook_No.
Saes usually contains, on the reissues by
Leonard Scott & Co.; of 11/ackwood'S 3141-'
wine, and the four leading British Reviews.
From time to, time , we,have presented the
headings 'of the 'different articles in these
journals to our readers, with commendatory
notices in - twhich':' the respective characters
of these great' 'organs were displayed ; but
there are so manyof our readers,- who either
pass by the column of a newspaper which is
devOtedio'new publications, or who, if • they,
glance at the names of, the , books, pass on to
ether subjects; from the suspicion , that the
object of a Book Notice is to commend all
and sundry of the publications that may find
their way to an editor's table; that, we have
wished to solicit the attention of a..
readers to a few thoughts on the surpassing
merits of these publidations.
The'seaton of the year is a suitable one,
either for the formation of new clubs,or for
individual subscribers to forward to the pub ,
lishers their addresses and their, subscrip 7
Lions. And:here we -confidentlystate dur
firm *conviction, that as many of our rtiaders'
as " will take'our advice, and either originate'
a alrib,,pr become subscribers, on. their own'•
behalf—and whew the• Reviews reach , thena,
be at pains to read the different articles in 'a
thoughtful find that we have
placed them under a weighty obligation, by
our suggestion, that they sheuld i study. these
Unparalleled vehicles. of modern
_literature-,
We mean =to to utter no disparagement
against our Om serial literature,
.when we
place "these Reviews on such,a)ofty pedestal. •
Nor do we in -any way, depreciate the °apse
ity of the 'American• mind.' little reflec
tion Will ServiSlo'shOw our,readers why it is'
that these organs which have nOw attained
to „a ; venerable age, are, and must be, une
qualled, either in the New orr in the Old
World, whether we'taka our own:country,
or France, Germany, Prussia, -or any Euro
peari nation into the consideration. '
MEE
For • centuries the, English mind has en
joyed thelnealculable advantage of.animer
one class of• endowed Schools, scattered over
the country, where Classical Literature is
cultivated with wondrous success ,ThAmps
ters and Autors in these Seminaries, are
Classical. iaholari of 'the kigheit oider:
They are fimiliar with the whille curia
Cali:an of Greek ,and Roman literCture.
Many ,of them indeed are as familiar with,
the learning of the - past, as they are with-the'
subjects of the present age: In these In-c
n ions e sons of rich ommoners who
are to inherit the estates of 'their fathers
the sons of wealthy merchants, whose means
are almost fabulous; the heirs of Noblemen,
who Fare to take.their place as Incitribbist
-Parliarnent,or to be heard at the bar; • - or - to
distinguish`themselves by flood or field, are,
found,,congregated. They are not , sent, to
these Institutions for some three: or four
months, to obtain a smattering of -knowledge,
and then t( run iiii`rePidly, through a College
with a long Prospedis and a Faculty short
of hands, r • d over-worked because of &tan.
vial pressu On ,the, other ; hand, they, re
main until , laving reaehed'the liighast form,
they: are • drafted. off` either to Oxford •or
Cimbridge, 'where'' their inental"culture''' is
extended farther' still.
Let our, readers now, consider what must, -
be the effect of such training on the thou-
Saida who hafelaiesuch sAsintidition,.and
who aftinwards, find their Wei to the 'Bar
the „Pulpit,, AM Senate, the Army, oi,the
Navy, after >;a long additional , profesaional
training: Consider, again, the 'thousands
scattered overall the Empire, who ire:living:
in alimintleisure,ind who haVe
ilar training in early life; who are literary,. _
in •their tastes and habits, and who :will de.,
viand a literature of the highest ` order.
The abupdamie of their means!enables them:
to pay the most „extravagant
.priges,,f6r l
Pliant ; folios and,goodly quartos, as, welt
for the more ordinary sizetiotdommon.place
literature ) Then,Pgaini look- at the` stances of Great Britain, withlleitis' tory'
rirreing down •over< so nsany!ages fromthe
antiquity of the put; With its endless '
jeets:‘offamily kenealogy, political party,,
refigionsadivisions77Antiquarian,,Parliemen ! ,
Wily,: Collegiate, Revolutionary, Royalist,
and Roundhead,' rural life.ind eity , Misery;:
With humanity every forth s and Condition,.
from the princely ranli'aia yoYidafflueoS,of;
the .Noblemolgwn • to thcsdegradation a pnd
wants of the homeless .beggar; -with sher: Cob.;
onies,'lgirdlingi 'the:earth, and her treaties''
bringing ''her` 'into political rellitiOn
every `civilized.natian, rind then,whep the ;
fact is super-added, that.this restless, agitat-,
ing, bus Y-minded, progressive' and educatedi
'maple enjoy the utmost ireedoin of the
press, anda healthy utterance of literary
J ana
political opinion, and; it would be passing,
strange if the. everyday literature Of emoh a
people' wire oravammon order. In : France,:
the people have not` the !noney to'huy such
a literature There is a want of scholastic
tfaining to produce it, and ; , there is in,
abienee, of that national freedom; the pba-
Beni= ' ', 43f which,, will -alone:enable the'
philosophic' mind to discuss thee — questions
that bear on man's intellectual 'and moral
welfare, for time and for , eternity Neither
has , Germanyi with its: Universities and,
profoundly learned mew, the healthful free
dan and manifold stimulante, that are pos
:nesse& by the British mind, to intellectual
boldness and literary success. Neither Lae
Aussie, nor any ether Edropean land. ;
The Anglo.Baxon l or the Celtic 'element.
'among our ; people is in, no way inferior so
far, as grasp or' power is:noncerned, to the
'itooknt the parent home..' , : But 'our antivity.
Ans Ashen ) and it, must, mune, :a, different
direction for a considerable We have'
new 'States to found, and empires ' of freemen ,
to' create, by siibping the wildeiness, and
34kiei,the, deeeit Ple abode 'Of ,a'n Wight.
tined aud energetic people. We our
rivers to turn intojtighways, :and 'our rail
roads testreteh front eiean-to ()Casa. We
,have 'dine to' keep our sons, 'fot . years,'
T H K PRESBYTERIAN BANNER AND ADVOCATE.
learning the rxdrrutiaa of Latin Prosody, and
filling their reilidi‘with the graceful beauties
of the Grecian: poets. There is work for
them to do. They are called for by compan
ions Who are battling with life, and whodeed
their aid 'and' effort as coworkers in the
onward struggle. They are, carried forward
on the swelling tide. oftzt enornmusly,pro
gressive civilization, and thud thai
advancement has been, and must be, mainly
physjog and social while,„ in
.. .Evlnnd ri the
odellition - of her people;' and theirscorinetionf
with the-..provisions-.of the past,,,has made:
her sons, in such vast numbers, men of
learning, fitted for enlightening other lands
on subjects that require ,the graces of high
culture combined with profound thought.
The working of the British Constitution,
also, and the division of her people into
political parties I and riligiods sects, favors
21 promotion of vigorous serial literature.
While occurring publications and philosophi
cal subjects generally.were to occupy a place i
on "the Pages of the Edinburgh Review,, its
originators intended mainly, by its brilliant,
daring essays, to tell on theToryiron of , the
day, and thuslo remove those governmental
restrictions whichthey believed to jwoof of
character with A the age. So, also, in the
case of Blackzoood's "•'Magazine, ands the
Quarterly Review; Poetry, Antiquarian
subjeetS, kthics; Travels, the whole range
of learning might, be introduced into their
articles, but one thing never to be forgotten,
was the, conservation of all that. was believed
to be sound, and essential to the British
Constitution. Progress theidreaded, dnless
it was progress of a very Slow and safe order.
If the Edinburgh was the impulsive steam
enaine
.the- embodiment' of an onward force
that
that wits moving, among therriesses, the
latter, acted as the break, and the', fly-wheel
thatiestrained or regulated all tendencies to
irregular' of excessive' "motion But in all
hie' lands, there be fband a 'class of
minds disposed travel out of the beaten
track, both-in politics, and ; religion. So it
has , -been'-in Britain, and hence the it
"'party' there hwie had their organ;
and the whole fellowahip of letters despite
its more than covertinfidelity,and insinuat
ing Latitudinarianism, have been constrained ;
to admire the power of the•Westatinster Re-
view
• Our readers who will reflect on, the Objects,
to be loubserved 4 by'- such organs, Ism well:
understand how itches come to pass,rthat the,
brightest min& of Britain haire been andstill
are the Oontributens to their pages. That a
present member of the Cabinet is a Monthly,
writer for Blackwood ; that's late editor of
the :Edinburgh -leaves that literary , thione
whiOh he adorned, to beeoinefOhancellor of
Herltlejesq's Exchequer, and that a
proprietor of the Westminster should, as
coloniahSecretary, have.been entrusted with
the destinies of= Britain'slfty or allay Colo
nice, are suggestive of" reasons Why :the,
Navy the Army, , the. Justiciary—all classes
and interests in the Kingdom, , and in Chris-,
iendoin—should aoknowleAge the power of
these journals, in which snob mighty ques
tions are discilised by glint Minds. Bo
also, it easy to perceive how it comes ,to ,
pass, that such enormous sums as , contribu- :
tors receive for , their.zessaysp are paid •by
the promoters and Publishers of these jour..
nals. The questions -at issue, the conse
quences, to, the ; , pohtical party if, Recess is
attained, the importance* , of procuring , the'
highest talent that money , can, command ;c
these and other • considerations unite in .
securing'a•liberal scale of remuneration un
heard of in the world of letters until these'
organs appeared.
- We need not' detain our :reiders by3_de
tailing the characters of these Reviews ,
Most ersons who glance at ` newspapers ;_'
hem that the , old and , venerable Edinurgis
is • the mouth , pieee of ithe Whig. party
Lairsdowns, of . Brissells,' Sydney ' Smiths,
and Brpughanis of the day. Opposed to
c a nimPO;questions of ,Choral ' , "„4 tatrr •
the Quarterly. has been, . and = still is, Pie=
representative .of ="f the flee old .English;
Gentleman; all of * • tha, olden thii"—the
suPPeit4:' ef 'a strong goVetiunent in the
State, and the, staunch unswerving friend
of the Church. latterly, this journal has,
taken - a <deoisive statr, against ry the puling,
eilley party:of 'Puseyites are ' striving to
play' at Popery in the bosom of, the Estab:
lishmeni and while xt is thus au oppenent
of. ,1",. sox-heed % vinegar,. Puritanism," it hi ,
equillyithe , foe =of Popery as the enemy of.
Britain's Weak
MEE
Before, the establishment of the North
British Review, several of the. writers of
thee= Edinburgh; °S had touched; the ~s ubject
of Christianity with ;the .hand :of an Esau;'
rather than With that of w.2 ,00 h- Sootfand
felt thati,eipecially on Church: politics and
ewEvangelical subjects, the name of. Bain-,
burgh must not be misrepresented, and, se
,e6rdinglY, the 'North- British - ReView corn=
;inerieed career: „It is not and never
has :been, the order of <the Pee phuroh,
has beenerroneomily suppoied. Free Church ,
'men have written' for 4' it, but. many of ‘ its
contributors areEngliehmen
,and Churah4
men; object of the Review being
a fair oAhihition of bilroli , PAlitios and of
;Evangelical matters in connexion with the
Jauhjeets thatlshoulit adorn a literary Review.
In the case of the Weitminster, there axe
)times when we confess our indignation is
istirred. - .lts:wily mode :of presenting.dan
tgerous matter, especially. in its review of
'Contemporaneous Literature is most
,but on the other hand the wondrous
character of its, leading articles is such, that
we fear F literary:men will, feel called on to
glance at its pages. Perhaps . the ?Wet)! of
, Moitreadeis will be 'found in the fact that
all really, educated,Men will, 'because' of
'their knowledge, be able to detect the ene,
my, -and to
_understand the mile as to
griand against it in due time.
Subscribers' to these Reviews and
! Black-
PqAtailh Piti*nuanY
eight dollars for, their, copies; while, the
American publisher offers them the five for
the ' serail 'sum of ten `dollars, leaving subi
scribers to pay an additional Wile of post=
' =
age . Those whlifave made themselves fa
.
miller' with 'theise great Masters of serial
literature, will require no incitement from
us to induce theta tmkeep,np their acquaint
ance withtheir pages ;lola We 'are eatießell
that asopany ofour. friends -and ,readers B-8
will be at the troub le to organize a club,
will feel under' 'weighty obligation to us
for ourowell-afeant `saggestion. -How many
intelligent. sons :of farmers and of persons
in bnsikess, could„thus,, by the . application,
of merg-4 I v two' 'dollars, according 'to
the_size_of, the_club,_enlighten their mindtf,
cultivate their literary taste, and use an in.
strumentality 'that would expand their views
of - men and things, instead' of wasting their
time on smile miserable novel, or unreliable
political sheet, or on the - columns of a love
and murder newspaper !
It is useless for any one to say that these
journals "are foreign-that their writers don't
understand us, or ,our institutions—do n i t
write for us--don't touch the subjects that
interest and profit :us. This is not so; The
subscribers and ' , readers- of these Reviews,
know that it hi riot no, and that the :reading
and staidying of these orpns, helps them in,
no ordinary degree, ,to-a, right conception of
the very, qUebtions that have- to be debated
by Americansf on- American soil. The ob
jeotion inerelY proceeds from ignorance. It
is seldom heard, from tjie learned men of
1303011, Xale,Princetoni Philadelphia, New.
York, or Washington. And even those'
who urge it, n'ease`to do so when ever they
dip Inici the fountain and' taste of thC liv
ing ;hiring. '
We are,now•at the beginning of the •year,
the semon'for < commencing is subscription
list. , . Ilow many will, 'after reading this az
tick, communicate "with' the publishers,
Leonard. Scott & Co:, New York and de
sire them_jofurnish them with.these Re.,
views 7. 'Wit trust that a goodly number
may 'adopt our advice, and thus' help 'the;
publishers pay' the large sum which they
annually contribite 'fo' the, parties on
,
other side of 'the Ooean, for - the advanced
iheets from which-the American reader is ,
supplied.
Wastininster, Assembly.
The list of names in the Ordinance con
vening the: Assembly, • amounts to one bun
dred and fifty-one, consisting of ten Lords;
twenty Commoners as lay-assessors, .and
one =hundred and :twenty-one,ministers.
The , honesty of intention entertained by
theletiders in themovement, maybe learned
from 'the fact that men of all shades of opin
ion in matters of Church-government were ,
emhraced in : the order. - !' Four bishops were
named; while some of , the , otheis were known
to ,be favorable tie a moderate Episcopacy,
, • ,-•
othere to Independency, , and others to Pres
byterianism. The , great object evidently
was, to have a fair discussion, - and to, arrive
at just conclusions concerning the important
Matteni in' dispute.
As might have been eiiitiOted,.
Church party were olisinoronst,and persistent,
in their opposition to the proposed Assembly,,
for they affirmed the abolition of • the hier
archy, as they litiderithiOd' it, to btra fore
gone conclusion. Accordingly, wily:one of
the bishops named atteiided tho .. 4*g of
the Assembly, and .be. onlyveoutinued l for
One day; while another excu, se&himself on
account of necessary duty. And twenty-five
of thze :- o4linally summoned declined to
attend,. beisiiiip it was . not . a convocation
called by the. Sing, and because his Majesty,
Charles 1., very decidedly condemned the
Scottish League and'Ootienent of this num
ber, ionr afterwards boniiinetbiish Ops..
At this point, it "will be proper. correct
'two mistakes that are still retained by many..
For even to • this d 4 there can be found ,
those who should know better, but Who in;
ally believe that invited to this
Assembly did attend,"
`were
ready dissenters frotri j the Episcopal ghu eh,
and revolutionists in the State. To the-41f %
it is replied,.. that the:ministers ve;ere; au
' ; Episcopal orders; except: the Snot* swho
could r ePtiali; but not vote' in'
The laws and ;iliti,biOhops had foug'bofoin
cant out all, the )ion-eonformists., Ar4".ati l
palamy mays', "'They ;who made np the. Aisi
sernbly at Westminster, nnd 'who, through'
the land;Were the honor of the Parliatient'a..
party, were; almost all sitikiti,h4tillthn - O;',
'conformed p aud took.,thoge, things .: to. be•htwz
ful in eaiscof Y necessity, but longed,to hive,
that = neteesityf , iimoved." - dn thie~ they:
'agreed , 'ilia:l'll64ly with . the ear ls' English
' : ll,4fofineie, than With the""lfigkOh y lliek"
rkt:ty of our own ,day. Beoause ziona,, .of the
Fathers! of t. the English Chureit.held.*tink l
Bishops were a distinct order frOui Preaby-.
Uric ands` had" over them jute
vino, and directly . from God ;" but that ..
Prelacy teas , merely of human institfecic) l ni l
and appointed to secure order and.4recieney,
in. the Church. •
. ,
, • 'Alf opntt . ary doner:lks 'Was oritly.prritil l •
.g4e.a i9=',4i,p'..'fits)i,: . o - th,inliiii,tiglijih,
•Churob . by iti t uie'init", in' 183 1 14, aiiigins •
!Malkin tb.,Arohbishop Whits* ? t Buts.'it
. eniain
r fitiTor the infalhous , tispiPlulinOthei
tieniury;iii'attenipt to', inriiilla sentiment
as a law of the Church, and of the land.
To e the„,,Rslond abate, it is answered;
that the Assembly was called according: to
law,' by the 'representatives of the people
duly met in Parliament. 'And owing to the
state of things en existing in both Ch u rch
ad State l it , ' cult to see how's full ei.-
41 in
premien of, the mind of the people, ::with re
stiouit to 'the . inibjeetk=involved, could. haire
bee* secured *." any, other _ 'Way, 'Yet' it
must.hi oiinfeieeda4 this corilliiiiiin'*ith.
the Parliament, did,..ntore, than ,ailY *ln.:
else to embarrass .and retard the - delibeira;' ,
tions - of .he 'Assembly, and tn=pirent the'
mitire,'Snecess of its iesUlti iii theliiigatiti'
of f great Britain, at that time', . , . .
~.:
.Ittrthe meantime, after the Assemhlytlia4
been: called, it Was deemed advisable ova.:
Ore:the oaoperstion taut assistance, of 'the
139"otebt,„ ., '4.1#44urste'''' ' 'ri! and one lay Mani
bearing an, hp,9rlii# name —= Sir lieniy , yane,
the younger—went to , Sootland to propose a
basiir.of union by - a , civil league. But-the:
Scot C h. iniisted that ' the union 'should be
consummated by a religious bond, and pro
posed the Celebrated: e‘ Solemn League and
Covenant," (of which we hepe,to have.some
thing to say not many weeks hence,) which
Oonyention of , Estates and the General
sembly." This was accepted, and sworn
and subscribed by both Houses of Parlia•
merit Snd 'the Assembly at Westminster, on
the 25th of September, 1643. This act
gave. t Ict ., W,, c tO proceedings
'Of the 'Aeseinbly; for. inistead , . of :busying
_itself, as at first,_ correegng Ahu Thirty-
Nine Articles, it now began seriously to
oarry out the purposes of the Solemn
League. • '
Owing tb the negotiations already nom
' menced, the.kleoloh . sent fonr id,thsir ablest
ministers ;and, three of their most honored
laymen, to be present'at the opening of the
Assembly. , 'And on the Ist of July, 164.3,
the angina AsseMbly met- in Henry the
Seventh's chapel ; the members wearing not
the Cionimil habits, but dressed in black
'coats and bands, after the manner of the
Contimentil.Tionistante.. The deliberations
twee was' eniin:ently proper,
With• fasting and devotional services, solemn
Ind tender. 'These services were protracted
.to 'a length that would be considered utterly
ineneniablein our times, but in them there
to have been no weariness on that
day. And well Might men abasethemeelven
very low before God, and lingerlong ironnd,
the Meroyseat, who were about to-engage
in such a momentous work as that' to Which'
they had set themselves. In the farat'plakiej,
. . „.
there Was a brief prayer ; prayer of
'two hours, in length,; then. asermon,of one
hour ; then a Psalm; then a prayer of two
hours; then a sermon; of one hour ; then a
Psahn, and the Benedio-
It was.very BooLevident that the Presby,.
terian element Wet: largely. -predominant.
Opposed to thii, were the advocaten'of Ppie
copaey, who, however, soon withdrew; the
Erastians, who contended that the State ..
and the Church must be necessarilysone—!,
that the government-of the two
arable, and' that all :Church government`
should . be in the hinds of civil rulers; and
the. Independents, who maintained , not only
that the Church was independent of the
State, but that each aspirate church was
indepmdent of all other ehurches, except in
the way of advice. Media these last had
been compelled, by the i Persecution of the
bishops, to pass over to Holland;where they
became acquainted and charmed with the
Congregational form of Church government.
The Erastians, at first, numbered three, but
Owing to the death of one of these, one cler
gyman and one layman were the sole' advo
cates of that system. But these were men
of renewn—Dr 7 Lightfoot, and the , cele
brated. John Seldan—and they were backed
by the outside pressure from Parliament,
the most of Whose members were,. according
to Bailie, 14- downrigli,t.EMetiana." The'ln
.dependents were, at first; only,,fiie3 but
they .afterwards increased, 41- seven, d
finally,to eleven. But some ot &enema*
men of greatlearning and wonderfolebility. •
However, Piesbyterianism was So largely, in
the mikirity, both in numbers, learning,
and inflnenoe, that it had everything pretty
imeh , to its own liking.
. . . , .
The ohief:topicri,of discussion were these:
1. Whatsre heeilifrot bearers in a PT9PPIIy
constituted Christian Church 7_, :2. The,neces
eity for ordination, and whether it , ought to
Eplicemal; Preabyterial, or Cokiiregstron
al;: 3., Whether Discipline was solelY jdOe
Church,Oorufbi,...4o . hy Divine, authority;
or, inbjeot oivil.coritrol. 4. Chtroh ,Gov
ernment--whither Episcopal, Presbyterian,
'ort - CongrigatioUll. - ' Con?ession -of Faith
and ; Concerning the Confession
, . .
and the , Oiteldiksin, there was. no. difference .
of opinion t 7except in 'the matter of disoip.
gne;iwhidlkitke Congregationalists did not '
like, EraOtions warmly:
?
posed. #4 . tfieTrefil)yerianetie‘n, - 44071: , ;
inaintaineAti!s.ol;ii,raJan i s 07,4*, q,
King and Head of his: atcre s h; Aar, not,
only :is a elOdeOCof faith' a n d iiactice,
440 has ,v;lsO appointed government in, di ,
hi nd of Church 4ffif#::6; dAtiao Its* .oii;
• However, it wind not be suppoaedt that
the whole time was. oicupied With' debates,
but by far•thei gieiter portion Was di4414 •
as O t
was, A,jo quiet,. studious, and, Over :
fui labor • by: committe ea, to • wii.oui , :the:,*
fciroiit parts were committed, atid:whokfrota.
time Width!, reported the of their •
laiii j iVtli l of whole 'Aisthibriiiithi every.
sentence t , • ; ..1) UP. • 4 • 7
n was weigbed.und,teited
,tho.
*saps of. Scripture zbrought.foriaid itc#B.
sappBi~. ~'
Ao,,Aireitory, l for, !Woish.ip ) . and :
thaMoinm.oflOhnich Government,' were - toot
presented to Farrliament and apprOvedi at A nd •
Voareyer griii.4ight be the disagreamerite
with ; ireePeet„;:trA4.9kiiiil(GoVeinni vat, and
Diseiplinp r ilmme walihe most perfect agree
went With. limpict. rid:the •dootiiries con
!Wiled in' the "Oclnfestarcin• and the Catechism,
*all Parties. Tiii:dinfdiiioir of Faith was,
submitted to,P4.l4inent in December, 1646
the Shorter Catechism-in : 2November, 1617,;
and the, Larger, , in• .Apri4 1618. These
Standards •wirie • adopted by Parliament,'
with' the'exciiiiiticr orthe Chapters cOneern
,
ing the Magistrate, which were too stringent
for the Erastianisni of that body. Stich was
the origin of those Standards which. have
stood the test of more than two centuries;
which are now received as the gnat formula
"iee of doctrine and government,by the'..Pres7;
, byterianrof. England, Ireland, Scotland; and ;
; the United' States, and which have ..exerted
inch an untold influence on otifei dhureher,',
and upon civil government. Chid' 'Justice
Tilghman asserted that the structure of ourl
!National. Government was greiatlylndebted
to the • Presbyterian Form of Government.;
:Arid we have been , told, ou high authmityi
'that the gifted Hamilton, while".Writliette.
Constitution of the United Stitsw tad our
Form of Church Government eonstaitly be
'fore him. •
And what a wondrous coniloend.of Chrid
tin - doctrine is contained in the Confession
and Catechisms) He who merely gives
them a place, in his library, or only . consults
them oc'easionally and cursorily, can know
lint' 'little of their rearwotth, 'the
amazing amount of erudition and labor ex
pended in their preparation. We refer not
merely to their high Biblical character, to
their unsurpassed logical accuracy, or their.
unequalled precision in the statement of
truth, but also to the fact that they are
"the deliverance of the Assembly on all the
chief controversies which had previously agi
taxed the Christian Church, though without
their being expressly named."
Indeed, not a few propositions in the.
Confession cannot be understood properly,
without considerable acquaintance with the
controversies to which, they refer. There
fore, it cannot be unreasonable to ask the
increasing attention of ministers, elders, and
private members to these glorious Standards.
Nor can it be thought presumptuoui for
us to inquire why this Confession and these
Catechisms should not be found among thp
Class books in our Theological Seminaries?
Certainly none of the compends or systems
of Theoloey usually put into the hands of
the students, earl be at all compared to our
own:venerable Stapdards. And we predict
that the Seminary, in our Church, that first
gives the 'prominence to which it is entitled
• to the 'study of otir own Standards, will cone
fer a benefit, upon its - students, and upon the
people to whom` they will afterwards
ter, that will not be lightly prized.
In ; another article, we will give an ac
count of some of the leading members of
the Assembly, and of its dissoluttin.
Approbation.
It isxlwa,ys pleasing to have the approba,
thin of those for whom we labor, and ape
oially is it so in times'of trial. In'all the
late - disoussion, we had testimonials sustaining
us, in our ,efforts to promote efficiency and
economy-in. the management of our Church
affairs. - And-still we are receiving multi
tudes of declarations in oar favor. This is
more than we could have claimed for what
we did, but it is what we had - reason to ex
pect for our intentions. Surely those who
Maintain that missionary contributions are
donations to the Lord' .4 cctuse, and who urge
the mite, even ftom, the poorest of the
widows, must approve of all right efforts to,
suppress wastefulness in: the using of the
funds.
Oar brethren; now 91keered with the result
thus;far, will permit us, often and earnestly,
to, urge the enlarging of their gifts, and spe
cially. to the Domestic Board. Let not the
cause decline. ,
:THE MARTYRED- MISSIONARIBS.--We,
last - week, noticed, at some extent, the ap.
pearnliee orthis well:got-up and deeply in.
teresting, work. .We recur to it to say, that
it is for sale at the Presbyterian Book
&mos, St. Clair'Street, in this We
hope the calls and orders for it will bamany.
EASTERN'SIIKMARY.
BOSTON AND. NEW ENGLAND. , •
Quite an Exciting 'Controversy has f been
carried on for some time, between,Mr. Wil
lis of Boston, and Mr. Monte, of the New
York Observer, . concerning the origin of, the
BOston Recorder. Each claims • to have
been the originator, and' that the Recorder .
was the " firstreligious newspaper `" in the
United Stat'es. A late number of the Con
gmationalist reviews the whole controversy
* at great length,, and gives its judgment.
inf4,4tror of the claims of 'Mr. Willis, father
of the Home .rournal.
4hen it priceeds to,discuss the claim of the
'Recorder tohe the oldest religions ,newspa
per in the world. By a religious:newspaper,
the Congregationalist understands not a
paiiel:Which gives only religious intelligence,
but a:news paper, coinplete in every depart
;mot of news, ; but on a, religious, ,instead
* of a political or literary basis. According
,to this definition, 'the Congregationalist
'shows that'' our ; venerable Sad admired
Ifriend thi Recorder, was not the first,re-
Iligions newspaper in this country.; ,The
Christian History was 'published - in , Boston
ai:early as 1743. And- the Religioue Re
tn,mbretueer was published in Philadelphia
:in 1813. the ; first nuniber- of ;the
Boston Recorder , was not issued. until 1816.
Noris the Recorder,. according to the. COn
grightioniiiist; the oldest religious newspaper
now existence For the Herald of Gc,s
i pal Liberty, still * issued, was published at
I Portsmouth, N. H., imlBoB. t But there is
another paper 'that can certainly claim -a.
greater .age than -'the Boston Recorder, but
;
because it appeared,';and still , continues in
the. West,,,it has escaped the attention of
those engaged in the discussion in the'East.
Pei It - can be scarcely` imagined that a little
town in Ohio would send forth a religious
Mier before, the ancient, wealthy, andlit
; entry city , of Beston,,wljv so many stirring
appeals have often bee ads in behalf of
the destitute West Neverthelees, the fact
iti l eertaiii. 7 ' The first` number of" the Weekly
Recorder was pabltsli~ed an,Chillicothe , Ofijoi
on, the sth of July, 1814, by the Rev.
John Andrews, 'of- the Presbyterianehurch.,
The character of the -paper was deseribedatt
tf Coinbining religions litSrary
, civil, sad
general intelligence,' : And, at the ; close of
the first volume, the Editor, who' died in
Pittsburglv a few -years ago, ibis' 'expressed
himself
We account it a high and uMf.p'eakablo privi
lege:4 of which we are' unworthy; fa have so favor
able and opportunity of prcimulgating the glorious
things win& God has done, and is still doing in
the world, for, the, honor j of his great name, and
the spiritual' illmnirnition ° and everlasting salva
tion of benightecl, perishing sinners. To him let
the praisei he - itieribed forever.
This paper was 'afterwards removed to
Pittsburgh, mid continued to be published
under the names of the 'Weekly Recordery
The ChilistiarkHerald, and the,Presbpterian
.Advocate,-and is now issued under the name
of 'the Pre.shkerian'ilittiaeKa n d Advocate.
So that • with all dui defirence wee of the
Banner must say to, you, of the Bolithii*
Recorder., we amyoun Senior. , •,?
i The Boston Public. Library, after beinm:
v :,~; ~.;.~~
dosed for a time, has been re-opened. The
building fOr its accommodation is one of the
most substantial in the city. it has now
seventy thousand eight hundred and fifty
one VOlumeireflideks, and seventeen
sand nine hundred and eighty-three pamph
lets. Of thee, (hiring the last three years,
fifty-four thousand six hundred and eighteen
volumes have been presented by Mr. Bates,
its greatest benefactor. .The accessions from
all sources, during the past year, have been
fifteen thousand one hundred and sixty
three volumes, and one thousand eight hun
dred and sixty-five pamphlets. It is sup.
posed that the regular annual' increase
hereafter, from the permanent fund,. will
not fall much below five thousand or six
thousand volumes.
Mr. John Sibley, the Librarian .of Har
vard College, has been engaged, for: many
years, in gathering up materials for a com
plete and elaborate biography of all the
graduates of that Institution. The work is
in a state of great Thrwardness, and will be
published las soon as , practiCahle. Such a
,Work will be full of great interest, not only
to the friends, graduates, and 'patrons of
this ancient seat of learning, but also to all
who take an interest in College affairs, and
indeed to all intelligent •readers. •
. The Boston organ of avowed Infidelity,
has lately given a report, occupying ten
columns, of that ridiculous failure to attract
numbers, awaken attention, or excite oppo
sition, made by the. Convention of infidels,
from all parts of the United States, at Phil
adelphia, of
,which we' gave an account in
our letter from Philadelphia, in October.
The Constitution, with the signatures, is.
given, and comthences, " We, the Infidels
of the 'United States," while there are . only
twenty-eight names out of the limits of
Philadelphia. -.
The Scripture Argument for Future
Endless Punishment, by'Dr. N. Adams, has
.been,publisited, and along with it a letter
from ,Theodore Parker, coneedhig the just
nese and conclusiveness, of the• point estab
lished on Scriptural grounds, as Scripture
is understpod by those who admit its plenary
inspiration; but at the same time he.takes
refuge under the shelter afforded - him by
his skeptical views of Inspiration. Truly, a.
convenient method of .beating-:. a retreat,
when hard-pressed !
From thestatisties of the-Congregation
alists'- of New :England, it appears that
eleven' thousand five hundred and twelve
rnemberehave been added to their churches
'in 'the year ending June, 1858, aOinst
seven thousand four hundred and seventy
removed. Net gain, four thousand. and
•forty.two, making one hundred tt.r.id. eighty
six thousand four hundred members in one
thousand four hundred and ten churches.
NEW YORE.
The' Business of the - Year. closed very.
quietly, and with encouraging prospects for
the future.: ,
Confidence has been in a:great
measure restored, and indicatiOns of a, gen
eral .revivals of business are beginning to
appear. The usual number of changes in old
firms, - ind. is large number of new firms, are
announced.
The manner in which the Sabbath is
observed...by a large -part of the German
potulation,ls beginning to excite ..- Very gen
e& remark. In the lower part of the city,
they have their theatres open, their concerts.
.
iisiprogress, and lager beer saloons, drinking
billiard rooms, and card 'tables, in
full operation. And as a necessary 'cense
+Fiction, the results are, moat deplorable.
These things, connected with the revelry in
other places, and by people of various
nationalities present an appalling picture of
Sabbath desecration, and give occasion for'
the followi ng comment by, the intelligencer
When you have finished the survey, and.
reached, your home, you will have seen more peo
ple at'theatres and drinking'-saloons, and gamb
ling places-=open to the public, and 'without the'
least' oonceidment—than were gathered , in the
Academy. of Music,Cooper Institute, and the
National, Theatre, to listen io the preaching of
the' Gosperon the same evening. And yea will
cease your marvels that the records of crime are
so extended: in the columns of our Monday and
Tuesday, journals. ' The men and' boys.• who
break the Sabbath, and drink,. and gamble, fur
nish the shooters, and stabbers, and,burglars, and
thieves, With whom the policelave to do. And
they will have a 'Plenty to-do in eatehing, and
punishing there; until the=peopl,wvise in their
might,, and determine. that the Sunday liquor
traf,fic, shall be suppressed.
This•scatters to the winds the argument&
used by pseudo-philanthropists in favor of
making the 'Sabbath a day of recreation,
viewed merely in its •iverldly. aspect. For
in this 'country, at Jeast, Sabbath recreation,
as understoodby those who deny the sane.
tity'of the Sabbath; has uniformly ended in
Sabbath dissipation.
The :Quarantine Buildings, on Staten
Island, have - a fair prospect. of remaking
undistitrhed by the 'excitedpopulace for
.
some time, and the serTieus of the soldiery
Will in all probability, berewth , ed but a
little : longer. An Angineer of high re
pute has suggested the happy idea, of
constructing an island on the Orchard
Shoals, iii thelower Bay, of Elie acres in
extent. .11e contends that , an island can be
madelat an expense of. about $135,000., or
$27 1 ,900 per acre. Civil engineering is ac
complishing wonders in these times, and
may be able to do this s but the expectations
entertained so sanguinely by this engineer,
respecting•the cost, are certainly doomed to
disappointment. Old Ocean will not be de
prived'Of his rights, and be driven off five
,N- • -
acres. of his domain, for the paltry
,era tion of $135,0,00.
The Century, ~ projected by Thomas Atc
•Elrath, Esq., well known 'as one of the
original proprietors of' , the New York Tri
bune, has made its firskappearanee. It is a
large quarto', after thasolid-looking English
model, ably written; and dignified in tone.
If the patronage should be sufficient, and
the future numbers equal to the one already
promisee to be a power
in the land.
The 44M:fuer (Baptist,) says that in the
three principal Baptist Theological Scalia
ries—Wwton, Hamilton, and Rochester—
ten Triifessors instruct less than half the
nunaber of students instructed by four Pro-